Botanic Babe
by yankiki
Summary: After being coddled by her overbearing father for her entire life Wakuribana Zenko decides she wants to be her own self and enrolls into U.A.'s Hero Course to become the best she can be.
1. Chapter 1

"D-Darling," the man whimpered, scrunching the handkerchief he gripped tightly within his grasp. "This'll be our Ko-tan's first ever shinkansen. E-Ever."

"Yes, dear. I know."

He let out another sob, blowing his nose noisily and making people pass by give them odd looks. "B-But, darling! She's never took a shinkansen before."

The dark haired woman next to him sighed tiredly and patted his head. "Yes, dear. That's right."

"B-But, darling! Even _I've_ never been on one."

"Yes, dear. _I know_."

The brunette who stood before them just wished for the ground to hopefully swallow her up and away from her sobbing father's woe. She internally groaned and took another glance at her phone to see she would need to board in less than a few minutes. Putting it back into her pocket, she turned back to her parents and despite the cold weather, she could feel her hands sweating and balled them up into fists. "I need to head off now, it'll be here any minute."

The dark-haired woman smiled gently at her, still patting her crying husbands head. "Good luck, Zenko. Do your best, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"P-Please don't get yourself hurt, Ko-tan!" her father howled making her eye twitch and glance nervously at the bystanders.

"I should probably be the one telling you that, but thanks, Dad. I'll see you later." As they were stood by the gates, she quickly swiped her card allowing her to go through.

"M-Make sure to phone us when you get there!" he yelled. Giving them both a final smile she returned his wave, although less wildly before finding the shinkansen. After taking a seat, she couldn't help but tap her feet nervously, thoughts sprinting through her mind every second as the train sped out of Sendai. Today would be the most important day ever to her. She had trained herself relentlessly for this in every way she could, her Quirk and herself. '_But was it enough?'_ she anxiously pondered.

Zenko had wanted to be a hero ever since she could remember. But due to her father's worry or rather over-worry, she had been too afraid to voice out her grandiose dream of becoming something citizens like them relied on. She sighed, resting her head against the clear glass and letting her eyes flutter shut.

"_Oh look at Ko-tan, darling! Isn't she adorable!"_

"_Yes, dear. Very adorable."_

"_Darling, you didn't look, come on!" whined the voice from across the room. Rolling her eyes, the woman tucked stray inky hairs behind her ear and turned her attention fully to the sight she had been subjected to for who knows how long. Her husband was gleefully sat on the floor with his legs crossed, his eyes gleaming down at the scowling child next to him and she couldn't help but snort._

"_Dad, I'm trying to do my homework." deadpanned the small brunette._

"_Really? Well, aren't you golden!" He paused, his almond-shaped eyes twinkling. "Can't I help?"_

"_For the fifth time, Dad, I said I don't need help."_

"_Leave her alone, dear." the dark-haired woman says, placing the rinsed plate within the rack. "You're interfering with her learning."_

_A gasp came from the man's lips and he glanced down where the small brunette stared blankly back at him. "Am I?! Sorry, Ko-tan I didn't realise…"_

"_It's not that serious, Dad." Zenko sighed, though there was a hint of a devious smirk playing on her lips. "But, Mum is right. What's gonna happen now that you've wasted loads of my time? Don't you want me to have a good future?"_

"_What're you saying?!" he spluttered, jumping up from the seat had taken on the floor. "Of course I would never-oh." Zenko giggled at his suddenly calm expression and his wife couldn't help but shake her head chuckling as she turned back to the sink, grabbing another dish._

"_You're so gullible." the brunette snickered._

_As if snapped out of a trance, he shook his head and once again beamed. "Did you hear that, darling?! She used a big word! Where did you learn that, Ko-tan?" The girl in question could only scowl in response, ignoring him and returning to her book. Just as she was about to note something down, the television caught her attention as an emergency broadcast flashed across the screen._

"_Breaking News! The infamous Tricky Trio have returned once again, this time in Sendai where our correspondent Kishamoto-san is currently at." The screen cuts to a shot of the aforementioned reporter stood far away from where the recurring explosions occurred but close enough to see the villains themselves who wore brightly coloured fits._

"_...As you can see," the man begun. "They have caused some damage to the surrounding area and have climbed upon Kamei Arena and currently have a family of hostages captive in a floating car!"_

"_That's pretty close-by." Zenko's father muttered frowning at the screen. "Where did you put the remote, Ko-tan?" She gripped the device in question under her yellow skirt and kept her focus upon the scene._

"_Ah - oh no! It looks like they're about to drop the car and there doesn't appear to be any heroes on the scene at this moment in time!"_

_Her father rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Of course they aren't." She shot him a glare which he failed to notice and she lightly huffed. Though she had to admit that this time, there wasn't a hero in sight. She sighed and looked down at her workbook just about to hand the remote over when-_

"_But wait!" the reporter started and her gaze darted to the television, eyes glinting. "Over there-"_

"_HAHAHAHAHA!" She let a gasp escape once she spotted the yellow-haired hero who had appeared out of the sky, landing right next to the villains with his signature grin and his hands on his hips. "Well, what do we have here?" he bellowed cheerfully and she could see the three villains shaking. "It seems to me that you are committing some dastardly deeds. TEXAS SMASH!" With one mighty blow, the offenders laid before him as he held the small car and cheers broke out across the scene. "It's all fine now! Why? Because I am here!"_

"_That's All Might for you!"_

"_There's a reason why he's the number one hero!"_

"_I LOVE YOU!"_

"_HAVE MY BABIES-"_

"_Alright, that's enough of that for today." Zenko blinked, suddenly realising the screen she had been staring at had just turned blank and noted her father who stood by the television. "It's almost time for bed so make sure you get your homework done." And with that, he began to walk away until she called out._

"_Dad?"_

_He ceased his steps and turned his gaze to her with an eyebrow raised in question. "Yeah, Ko-tan?"_

_The small girl took a deep breath and fisted her skirt between her small hands. 'If I don't say it now, when will I?' She looked up from her hands, stared straight into her father's identically pea-green eyes and says-_

"_I wanna a hero."_

_At first, his expression had not changed in the slightest, but after seeming to process what she actually said his eyes widened open. "HUH?!" he exclaimed loudly and staggered back. "What do you mean you want to be a hero?!"_

"_Dear, it means she wants to be a hero." His wife replies, not taking her eyes off the dishes._

_He shot a look back at her. "I understand what she said, darling, but I want to know why!" He takes a few steps towards Zenko and kneels in front of her, firmly placing his hands on her shoulders. "Haven't you seen all the trouble they cause for us normal citizens, Ko-tan? And don't you know how much danger you'd be in as a hero? It's a risky job." he groused. She couldn't meet his scornful eyes and felt her palms sweat as she clutched her skirt tighter. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up after all…but-she returned her gaze to his._

"_Isn't it a risky job because heroes are willing to save people who can't do that for themselves?"_

_Her father gaped at her. "What's that supposed to mean, Ko-tan?" he spluttered. "Anyway, weren't we talking last week about how you're going to come and work in my shop? That would be much safer…"_

_She lowered her eyes once again and lightly scowled. "Yeah, but what's the matter with me wanting to be a hero? I don't wanna be a florist my whole life."_

"_I'm not saying you have to be," he said. "Even though our Quirk is most suited to that, I'm sure they're other jobs you could find. But you're only nine right now, so you don't have to worry about it yet." He smiled but she saw it failed to reach his eyes as he softly ruffled her hair and stood. "I think it's time for bed now, Ko-tan."_

Zenko felt herself jump when something touched her shoulder and swiftly turned to her right to see an elderly woman in the seat next to her. "I'm sorry for startling you, dear, but would you be able to help me off at this stop?"

Minutes later, after helping the wobbly elderly off, she gave Zenko a sweet with a 'thanks' and was on her way. It wasn't until then Zenko had realised how big Tokyo was and couldn't help but gape at her surroundings in awe. It was the first time she had stepped into a city other than Sendai and she was surprised at how bright Tokyo actually was. As she went on her way she was even able to spot a few heroes on patrol, at least a lot more she would than at home. There was also a lot more different looking people, she noted to herself, seeing a person walk past with the head of a horse. She kept her hands in her pockets, afraid anyone with eagle eyesight would be able to see how tightly clenched they were.

Before Zenko even realised it, she found herself outside the most difficult school to get into in the entire country – U.A. High. She couldn't help but gape at the humongous windowed building for a few moments before she shook her head. It looked more intimidating than she had imagined it to be. But if Zenko thought the outside was domineering she certainly wasn't prepared when she saw the thousands and thousands of students sat in their seats. She audibly gulped taking a look around the auditorium and its massive capacity. She knew there would be a lot of people wanting to join U.A's hero course, but not _this_ many.

She took a deep breath and began to search for her allocated seat put on her ticket. Thankfully, she found her seat rather quickly next to someone who had spiky vines for hair. It seems as if she had just made it in time as the once dark room light up with spotlights. She could see the light shine onto the stage, where a man with spiked mustard yellow hair stood. '_Isn't that Present Mic, the Voice Hero?'_ she questioned herself.

"For all you examinee listeners tuning in, welcome to my show today! EVERYBODY SAY HEY!"

'_Yep, definitely him.'_ She deadpanned and let out a tired sigh.

"What a refined response! Then I'll quickly present to you the rundown on the practical exam! ARE YOU READY?! She awkwardly peeked around when no-one had answered yet again. "YEAH!" Present Mic answered himself.

After the presentation finished, Zenko changed out of her uniform into more appropriate clothes. '_It'll be fine' _she assured herself as she jumped off the bus. '_Just think of it as a video game, Present Mic even described it was like Super Mario Bros.' _That was when she bumped into someone that knocked her out of her thoughts. "Ah! sorry about-"

"Watch where you're going, shortass!" Freezing up, she ends up having to look straight up to see the face which held immense murderous intent. His eyes were a bloody red and his ash-blonde hair was extremely spiky. '_Is he a villain in disguise? He kinda gives off that vibe.'_ she pondered to herself as she watched him tense as he petulantly stomped away from her, growling to himself. It was only then when she dared to look at the gates of the battle centre and she blanched. '_Why is it that everything at U.A. is so big?!'_

She peered around at the others that had been assigned here, spotting some interesting people - there was even a boy who appeared to have grapes for hair. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, attempting to calm the nerves that were running rampant through her and tightly clutched the small pouch that clung to her small hips. '_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in-'_

"Okay, start!"

"Huh?" Her eyes snapped open and she whipped her head towards where the voice had come from, barely able to see Present Mic on top of a tall building.

"What's wrong? There are no countdowns in real fights! Run, run! The die has been cast you know!" And with that, Zenko found herself sprinting into the cityscape along with everybody else. '_What's my plan? Where do I go first-'_

"OUTTA MY WAY!" came a sudden yell from right beside her. She squeaked and found herself ducking out of the rampaging blonde's way, who appeared to be...exploding away?

"What a psycho..." She shook her head once again, she needed to focus on the exam. She quickly took a right into an alleyway only to immediately find a one-pointer continuously walking around in circles, making her frown. '_Are they supposed to be easy or stupid?'_

However, she quickly confirmed it was the former as it's gaze suddenly locked onto her, making her flinch. "_Target acquired_." it droned as it began to slide its way towards her. Alarmed at its surprising speed, she hastily kneeled onto the ground below her and smacked her hands upon it wincing at the impact.

"_Wisteria floribunda!_"

At once, clusters of purple burst from the ground and shot towards the mechanical fiend and bound it firmly. Zenko was swiftly back on her feet and clenched her hands tightly and watched as the vines follow her movement and crushed the one-pointer.

_**Wakuribana Zenko. Quirk: Botanica - The user is able to create and grow plants from any surface and is able to manipulate them.**_

Letting out a relieved smile for her first success, she hurries out of the alley on the hunt for another battle-bot. She hadn't expected for that to have gone so well. However, before she can relax and dwell on it-

"_Target acquired._"

Startled she turns around to see around three two-pointers surrounding her and squeaks before flinging her hands onto the wall next to her. "_Euphorbia milii!_"

_**The user can only do this if they say the latin name of the plant.**_

Soon enough the three robots laid in pieces upon the ground, the thorny vines that had struck through them laying beside them and Zenko took off, reaching inside of her green pouch. Slipping a couple out, she swiftly swallowed the seeds. She would have to be careful, this was already way more strenuous than the training she had put herself through for the last few months. She would have to use these seeds sparingly, she noted as she zipped the small pouch shut.

The brunette clenched her fists and skidded to a halt once she came across another group of villain bots. She could do this, she reassured herself silently and took her position ready to use her hands. She refused to let them get the best of her after working so hard for this moment.

* * *

Hey, thanks for reading the first chapter of my BNHA fic! I do accept criticism in order to improve my writing so just let me know your thoughts if you enjoyed it or not. Also, I am British so my spelling is different to American-English so sorry if you get confused about that. Have a nice day!


	2. Chapter 2

A whole long and lingering week had passed since the entrance exam and Zenko had been waiting tensely ever since then. At first, she was confident she had done enough, but when she came across the terrifying blonde she had encountered before the exam, he was surrounded by neverending piles of whatever he left of the obliterated villain bots. She remembered blanching at the sight and noting that while no-one else could compare, the rest of the examinee's seemed to do really well nonetheless, with countless robots littering the ground.

If she recalled correctly, she had gotten at least thirty-six points in the practical and had most likely passed the written test. She was proud of being able to do the best she could- '_But was it enough?'_

"Zen-chan! It's time for dinner!"

Her pea-green eyes flutter open and she let a sigh escape her lips. Climbing off her bed, she swiftly made her way down the stairs and into the dining room where her mother had just laid her plate of tonkatsu onto the table. The dark-haired woman smiles gently at her. "Were you asleep?"

Zenko lightly shook her head in response holding back a yawn as she took her seat. "Not yet. Is Dad at work?"

"Yeah," She sat opposite her daughter, chopsticks in hand and handing one of the two pairs to her. "He's had to stay late because you know Akaashi-san? Well, it's his wedding coming up in a couple days so-"

Zenko barely just heard it, but she swore she heard the letterbox snap shut. She jumped out of her chair and her mother could only stare in disbelief as she darted to the front door of their abode. The raven-haired woman blinked before returning to the tonkatsu in front of her. "Alright then."

The brunette stared at the envelope that had dropped upon the floor, her eyes narrowed and felt almost as if she was having an old-fashioned stand-off with it. She hovered for a few moments, her twitching hand inching closer before she hastily snatches it up and begins to retreat back to her room. "So are you leaving your perfectly good dinner here, _Zen-chan_?"

She winces, turning to see her mother's blank face sticking out the doorway, but Zenko knew fully well that her grey eyes held intense malice, daring her to take another step and she shivered at the sight. It was _the look._ "Uh, sorry, Mum. My acceptance letter for U.A. came…"

Quicker than Zenko thought was physically possible, _the look_ vanished and she hummed in understanding. "Ah, nevermind then. Dinner will probably be cold once you come back down, so make sure to heat it up later, okay?" With a final smile, the raven-haired woman's face disappeared from Zenko's sight and the brunette let go the air she had kept in.

Once she reached the desk within her room, she couldn't keep her gaze of the letter she held tightly within her grasp. It was round two of the stand-off and barely able to handle the thick tension, she slit the envelope open letting the holographic device within it drop onto the table. Zenko watched intrigued as it lit up in front of her but then she gapes.

"Am I a mouse, a dog, or a bear? All you need to know is that I'm the principal!"

She blinked once. Then twice. For good measure, she rubbed her eyes, but no. She could still see the small white animal that stared back at her with its small beady eyes and a dopey smile. "Huh, then not a ferret..."

"Hello, examinee! We'll be shortly discussing your results for your tests and then reveal our final verdict of your performance. Firstly, with the written test you passed with flying colours and then with the practical…" Zenko briskly looked down at her twitching hands. They were covered in plasters which hid the scabs beneath which she gained from smacking the ground too much. She clenched them tightly ignoring the ache that tickled. They hadn't started bothering her until now.

"...There were actually two ways to obtain points." She pauses, returning her gaze to the holographic mammal and tilting her head slightly. "One of which was told to every examinee to collect points from defeating the villain bots, and you managed to gain thirty-eight points by doing this. The other way to obtain points which we didn't disclose was by rescuing people!" The brunette furrowed her eyebrows and could feel her eyes sting. She was completely sure she hadn't saved anyone since she had been so focused on -

"You were able to obtain twenty points!"

Zenko, at first didn't seem to process this and had continued to stare at the small principal who grinned back at her. Then all at once, her jaw dropped and her pea-green eyes shot wide open. Feeling a scream lodged in her throat, she was somehow so bewildered she had fallen out of her chair and now laid upon the fluffy blue rug which saved her from the cold wooden floor. "What are you doing up there, Zen-chan?"

"What?! When?!" she exclaimed, sitting up from her position. "When did I save anyone?!" She honestly couldn't think of whenever she had encountered anyone while fighting, apart from the villain bots.

"This means in total you gained fifty-six points, which according to the scores of everyone else who took the practical test, puts you at tenth place!" She held her head which had lightly thumped against the ground which had begun to throb with the overload of new information. '_Tenth?!_' That was when she heard footsteps climb up the stairs and she jumped up just in time for her mother to open the door.

"Zen-chan, are you alright-"

"Because of your results, you have been accepted into U.A.'s hero course. Congratulations! We hope you will enjoy your time at our academia." And with that, the hologram switched itself off.

Zenko's room was silent and all she could find herself do was stare back at her mother. But then the dark-haired woman smiled brightly and tucked the brunette into a tight hug. "My goodness, Zen-chan!" she gushed. "This is incredible, I'm so proud of you!"

Zenko smiled, feeling her eyes sting once again and hugged back albeit less firmly. "Thanks…" she mumbled unable to move her face away from her mother's shirt. The grey-eyed woman suddenly pulled back, her hands gripping Zenko's small shoulders.

"I'll call your father. He'll be delighted once he finds out!" she beamed and the brunette couldn't help but smile back. "He should be finishing up just now anyway, just let me go grab my phone." The dark-haired woman then hurries out of Zenko's room leaving her to herself. Zenko lets out a sigh and sits up the fallen chair before falling onto her bed, facing the ceiling. She couldn't hold the silly grin in any longer and before she knows it she can feel warm tears running down her cheeks.

'_When was the last time I was this happy?_' she thinks to herself rubbing her eyes. She sits back up, her gaze locking onto the holographic device that laid on her desk. But now she was also more curious than ever because she wanted to know who she had inadvertently saved. Even if it wasn't intentional, they still managed to get Zenko points for just being there. Zenko promises to herself right then and there she would have to thank them because if it weren't for them, she wouldn't have done so well. The fact she had even gotten into the top ten was mind-blowing to her.

"Zen-chan, your father is on the phone!" called the dark-haired woman from below. The pea-green eyed girl found herself speeding down the stairs to see the woman holding the phone out to her and she hesitantly took it from her. Who knows what he would say since he never seemed to like the idea of heroes - she's still unsure of how she was even able to attempt to join U.A..

She began to speak. "Hey-"

"_Ko-tan!_" the man howled making Zenko flinch and almost drop the phone. "_Oh, Ko-tan! I-I-I'm so proud of you! You've been working so hard for this, haven't you? Oh, Ko-tan I honestly cannot believe it! Isn't U.A. really hard to get into?! _" He continued to wail and Zenko was sure she could hear the faint sound of the shop's bell tinkling in the background.

"Uh, yeah-"

"_Oh, I'm so proud of you! I'll have to treat you to some dorayaki and-ah wait a moment where did that customer go…? That's strange… Anyway, I'll be home soon, take care, love you, bye!_" As soon as he finished the phone made a resounding beep and the brunette couldn't help but stare blankly at the small screen. She heaved a sigh and shook her head.

"What did he say, Zen-chan?" her mother said. "Your face is odd."

'_Typical Dad_.' she deadpanned. She hadn't expected him to be so accepting of it, but she was still extremely glad nonetheless. She looks up to the raven-haired woman and a smile draws across her face as she hands the phone back to her. "He says he'll be home soon after losing a customer."

"How typical of him."

Two months later, a week had passed since April Fools and Zenko was stood in front of U.A. High - but this time, she was a student attending it. The brunette found it difficult whether to determine she was feeling more blessed or terrified at that thought, though found it hard to keep a small giddy smile from slipping out. Soon enough she was making her way throughout the enormous building and found herself in another corridor.

'_Why must U.A. be so big?' _she internally sighed as she felt her legs begin to ache. Her eyes dart to the signs of each classroom, noting how incredibly large the doors even are. "How far is it now?" she grumbled tiredly.

"Hey, are you looking for 1-A too?" a voice called from behind her making Zenko almost jump in surprise. Turning on the spot, she spots a wide-eyed brown haired girl jogging towards her with one of the brightest smiles she has ever seen from someone that isn't her father. So much so she feels as if she might go blind from the brightness.

"Yeah," Zenko responds lightly returning her smile. "It's taking me a while though. I didn't realise how big U.A. really was."

"I know right?" the bright girl's shoulders droop though her smile stayed on her face. "I wonder how they have enough money to invest in everything… Ah! Sorry, I haven't introduced myself - I'm Uraraka Ochako!"

"Wakuribana Zenko." the pea-green eyed girl replies with a small smile and nod. '_Uraraka or Urararaka?'_

The two brunettes walked on with Uraraka rambling on and surprisingly found the classroom quicker than Zenko had thought would take. Stood in the doorway of the classroom was a boy with dark curly green hair and a mustard yellow backpack, someone who Uraraka seemed to recognise.

"-and I'm wondering when the orientation will be as well. It'd be after the ceremony, right? Oh, that curly hair!" she exclaimed. "You're the plain-looking one!" The boy turns around and once he sees the taller brunette of the two, he gasps as his cheeks turn red. The happy-go-lucky girl continues to speak and Zenko takes this chance to slip through the doorway and past the bespectacled navy-haired boy into the classroom.

She swiftly peered around the classroom seeing that everyone else had taken their seat and spots a lone desk near the furthest corner. She takes note of the assemblage of colourful people in her new class as she quietly made her way to her seat and finds herself sitting next to someone who even had red and white hair halved down the middle. '_I wonder if it's natural or if he's trying to look like a colourful Cruella de Vil...'_

"I wonder what our teacher's like?" the rosy-cheeked girl cheerfully continued to the red-faced boy who attempted to cover himself up. "Aren't you nervous?"

"Go somewhere else if you want to play at being friends." a sombre voice suddenly appeared. Startled, Zenko darted her eyes to see something laid down in the doorway on the floor.

"This is the hero course." it murmurs, taking a drink out of its bag and drinking it dry. '_A caterpillar?'_ she questions silently. She quickly forgets it once the man stood out of his yellow sleeping bag and scolds herself for her silliness. "Okay, it took eight seconds before you were quiet. Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough." She takes note of his very red eyes and wonders, '_Does he ever sleep and actually who is he?'_

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Nice to meet you." Well, that was answered pretty quickly. "It's kind of sudden," he continues and pulls out a navy-blue, white and red top. "But put this on and go out to the field." The whole confused class begins to mutter, but all follow his request and found themselves in said field.

"A Quirk assessment test?!" The entire class yelled loudly.

"What about the entrance ceremony?" Uraraka asked. "The orientation?"

"If you're going to become a hero," the teacher begins. "You don't have time for any leisurely events. U.A.'s selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are. That's also how the teachers run their classes." He looks back at the class and Zenko sighs. '_Of course, this school is going to be wacky.'_

"You kids have been doing these since junior high too, right?" he prompts, holding up a phone. "Physical fitness tests where you weren't allowed to use your Quirks. The country still uses averages taken from results from students not using their Quirks. It's not rational. Well, the Ministry of Education is procrastinating."

He turns to the spikey blonde. "Bakugou-" '_What a suitable name.' _"You finished at the top of the practical exam, right?" She switches her gaze to him. He seemed to be the strongest here so far, and also the scariest, blanching as she recalled the entrance exam. "In junior high what was your best result for the softball throw?"

"Sixty-seven metres." '_I don't think I've ever gone past twenty.'_ Zenko sulks quietly.

"Then, try doing it with your Quirk."

Bakugou moves forward with his given softball into the ring. "You can do whatever you want as long as you stay in the circle." Aizawa informs him. "Hurry up. Give it all you got."

"Well then," the blonde grumbled. Up to this point, Zenko had noticed his calm expression and had been questioning how odd it was and if this was the same person after all. Maybe the stress of anticipation for the exam had gotten to him and he just needed to let it out somehow-

"DIE!"

'_Nevermind then…'_ she winces as he blasts the poor softball away.

"Know your own maximum first." Aizawa said, turning to the rest of the class. "That is the most rational way to form the foundation of a hero." He raises the phone once again to reveal Bakugou's score.

'_705.2 metres?!' _Zenko's jaw drops.

"750 metres? Seriously?" She hears someone say and forces herself to not give them a look.

"What's this? It looks fun!"

"We can use our Quirks as much as we want! As expected from the hero course!"

"'It looks fun', huh?" the droopy-eyed teacher muttered. "You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time?"

Zenko notes the suddenly sketchy smirk that crosses his face and could hear herself gulp. "All right. Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion."

"Huh?!" Everyone understandably responded.

"We're free to do what we want about the circumstances of our students." He lifts his head up, swiping back his hair to unveil his hysterical smile. "Welcome to U.A.'s hero course!" Zenko clenched her fists as she grimaced staring down at her feet. '_It has to be a lie, right? No teacher in their sane mind would do that… But he doesn't seem like that at all, judging by that smile. Is he a sadist?'_

"Last place will be expelled?" Uraraka exclaimed. "But it's the first day of school. No, even if it wasn't the first day of school, this is too unfair!"

"Natural disasters, big accidents and selfish villains." Aizawa began and Zenko returns her gaze to him. "Calamities whose time and place can't be predicted. Japan is covered with unfairness. Heroes are the ones who reverse those situations. If you wanted to go talk with your friends at Mickey D.'s after school, too bad. For the next three years, U.A. will do all it can to give you one hardship after another. Go beyond. Plus Ultra." His devious smirk returns to his face as he wiggles his finger. "Overcome it with all you've got."

_'Definitely a sadist…' _Zenko thinks to herself. She notes the now determined expressions on all of her peer's faces and she smiles. '_But_ _I guess I'm also feeling a bit fired up now.'_

"Alright, demonstration's over. The real thing starts now."

* * *

Sorry if it felt slow in the beginning, I think I should have added the first half to the first chapter but it's too late now so meh. Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless. Also due to the Japanese alphabet, Zenko would be the last on the register so she would be behind Yaomomo for the seating arrangements (W comes after Y).


	3. Chapter 3

_**Test One: Fifty-metre dash**_

The pea-green eyed girl stared down the long track, noting that at least no-one would be going after her since the runway will probably be ruined after her go. She places her hands on the ground behind her and kneels onto one knee. She takes a quick glance at the student next to her, her eyes widening once she spots the scooter that had materialised, wondering where it could have come from. The ponytailed girl propped the object behind the line, mounting upon it.

"On your mark…" The brunette let a small anxious grin cross her face, returning her attention to the lane ahead. "Get set…"

The firing of a shot resonated and Zenko took a deep breath, glimpsing at the dark haired girl who had quickly taken off.

"_Wisteria floribunda!_" The lavender adorned vines spurt from beneath the palms of her hands and boosts her into the air. She lets a squeak escape at the unexpected speed and blinks a few times to get rid of the burn of her eyes. She quickly meets the end of the track barely ahead of the other girl who stared with uncertainty at the brunette.

"4.49 seconds." declared the robot next to the track and Zenko couldn't help but have a satisfied smile. '_If that had been without my Quirk, it probably wouldn't have reached ten seconds…'_ she noted silently, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

_**Test Two: Grip Strength**_

"Wow! Five-hundred and forty kilograms! What are you, a gorilla? Oh, an octopus!"

"Octopuses are sexy…"

Zenko gazed at the curly-haired boy in front of her, the one Uraraka had chatted to earlier. He was staring worriedly at the digits the device he gripped had generated and she couldn't help but be reminded of a defeated puppy.

"Um, excuse me," she spoke hesitantly as his dark green eyes dart nervously towards her. He seems to have realised right away that herself and the fluffy-pink haired girl were waiting for him to hand the device over and he lets an embarrassed blush cover his cheeks.

"Ah, sorry! H-Here you go." he stammers swiftly handing it to the brunette.

"It's fine." she replies softly, resetting the device. She glances around the room seeing nothing she could touch that wouldn't be damaged by her Quirk and she sighs. She didn't want to risk damaging too much of the school grounds on the first day. '_I guess I'll just use what I've got now.'_ Deciding to get it over and done with as soon as possible, she tightly gripped the handle with all her might until her fingers began to burn and let go once a beep emitted from the device.

She peers at the answer and once she sees it couldn't help but sweatdrop at the small numbers.

It read-_15.3 kilograms._

_**Test Three: Standing Long Jump**_

"_Wisteria floribunda!_" Zenko exclaims before she flings herself through the air. She roughly lands right past the long sandbox and looks back at it in bewilderment. "Huh. Does that even count?" Apparently, it did as she blinked dubiously at the bloodshot-eyed teacher who gave her a curt nod as confirmation.

_**Test Four: Repeated Side Steps**_

"_Lentinula edodes..._" she glanced hesitantly at the two large and slanted mushrooms she had just sprouted, wondering whether or not she would be able to gain a similar effect to the boy with grapes for hair.

"Get set…" the robot begins. Once again a shot was sounded and she darted from side-to-side as quickly as she could muster. As soon as time was up, she deadpanned at the two mushrooms which had proven to have been completely useless.

_**Test Five: Ball Throw**_

"He got over seven-hundred metres?!"

"Finally," Uraraka exclaimed cheerfully. "A hero-like record!"

"It's not very stylish."

Zenko couldn't help but smile at the green-haired boy's result. It hadn't taken long for her to notice his unwavering nerves throughout the tests and she was impressed that he did so well for his test. '_Though,_' she grimaced slightly at the sight of his purple finger which the boy clutched. '_His Quirk seems to have heavy consequences...'_

"HEY!" a sudden roar resounded making her flinch. Her gaze darted to the source and she wasn't surprised to see that it was the loud blond sprinting towards the shook boy. "TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON, DEKU, YOU BASTARD!" '_Huh? Deku as in useless?'_

Just as Bakugou was in reach he was hastily brought to a prompt halt by long silver cloths which lead back to Aizawa, whose dark shaggy hair was floating once again. "What the-?" Bakugou grunted. "These cloths are hard..!"

"They're weapons for capture made of carbon fibre woven together with metal wire made of special alloy. Jeez…" he groused tiredly. "Don't keep making me use my Quirk over and over." He raised his head to reveal his bright red and bloodshot eyes. "I have dry eye." Zenko couldn't help but deadpan. '_A shame for such a good Quirk…'_

"We're wasting time." the teacher grumbled as he released the blond from his cloths. She gazed contemplatively at his hair which now wasn't floating. '_How does that play into his Quirk at all?'_ she pondered quietly. "Whoever's next, get ready."

After multiple students had had their turn, it was finally time for Zenko to step into the white ring as she clutched the ball in her left hand. '_It shouldn't be too hard…'_ she noted. '_But, I will have to ruin the ground for this…'_ She let out a small sigh and kneeled down. "_Wisteria floribunda._" Once again her default plant grew from beneath her hand and she watched as the branch paused as she stood back up. She placed the baseball onto the five purple leaved branches which made a makeshift hand. She curled her hand, seeing the plant replicating her movement and loosely curling around the ball.

Making sure she was parallel to the plant, she took a step back and lifted her left arm, the plant also rising higher until she was sure it could no longer do so. The maximum height Japanese Wisterias can grow to nine metres, though Zenko has only been able to stretch the plant to seven, despite it being one of her most practiced plants. She could see out the corner of her eye the gapes of disbelief and she was just able to prevent a smug smile from crossing her face. '_I'm glad I get the chance to show this off to someone who doesn't have the same Quirk as me…'_ She smiles at the thought of her father's face who had dropped his jaw at the progress she had made over the last few months.

"_I'm so proud of you Ko-tan!"_

She flings her arm forward, the tall plant copying her movement and opened her hand just in time for the baseball to escape from the enclosed branches and fly across the field. She raised a hand to her brow and was just barely able to spot the small ball already descending. Soon enough a beep was heard and the robot droned, "_219.99 metres_."

Satisfied with the score, Zenko steps out the ring relieved receiving an ever so gleeful grin from Uraraka. "Waah! That was so cool, Wakuribana-chan!" she exclaimed and Zenko couldn't help but blush shyly, returning the smile albeit less brightly and uttering a 'thanks'. Standing next to 'Deku', she turned her attention to the next person who steps up, noticing it was the half-white and red boy from before. She grimaced at the sight of her plant which had essentially taken over the ring, but Zenko was definitely not expecting for what came next.

Instead of ignoring the tall plant, he rested his hand upon it and she felt a chill go down her spine as she watched the plant quickly become frosted then completely frozen at the base of the plant. Then with a resounding crack that made her go stiff, the plant snapped and fell with a loud thud. Zenko eyed the impassive boy apprehensively. '_So I suppose he's gonna be my natural enemy then?'_ she ponders, wincing at the sight of the frozen wisteria, it's heather petals now covered in frost.

_**Test Six: Sit-ups**_

'_What a coincidence…'_ she deadpans as she held down the feet of her internally declared enemy and she lets a sigh escape, lightly shaking her head and ignoring the slightly befuddled expression which crossed the boys face. She keeps her pea-green eyes glued to her hands which held her partner stable. Though she could judge from the non-existent sweat on his forehead and how many sit-ups she had counted so far, he probably didn't need any assistance. Her on the other hand, it'll be frustrating.

"You're holding my feet too tightly."

The brunette blinked at the monotone voice and she grimaced once she looked down to see she had in fact gripped hard enough to turn her fingers white. She blanches. "Sorry." she quietly mutters, loosening her hold slightly.

Once time was up, they swiftly switched positions and she immediately noticed that he had returned her gesture of having a too firm grip on her feet. Taking in a deep breath, she lays her hands on the back of her hand and begins.

_**Test Seven: Seated toe-touch**_

Having an extremely unathletic body in general - even after all the training she put herself through the few previous months - she would always be thankful for her mother's inherited flexibility. She was able to reach her toes terribly easily without feeling any sort of intolerableness, except for the grape-haired boy's eyes which she made sure to glare into once catching his hazy gaze.

_**Test Eight: Long distance run**_

Her mother's stamina, on the other hand, was unfortunately something Zenko hadn't inherited. She jogged limply after the jade-haired boy, desperately gulping for air as she made her way around the track for the final time, almost collapsing once she glimpsed 'Deku' do so. However seeing that the class was making their way over to Mr Aizawa, she hesitantly made her way to the boy to haul him back up.

"Ahh!" the boy went bright red, startled at the brunette's help. "T-Thanks."

"It's fine." she tiredly replied. "It's better to stand up anyway since it's easier for the blood to get around the body."

"Okay, I'll quickly tell you the results." Aizawa began, the class all stood before him. "The total is simply the marks you got from each test. It's a waste of time to explain verbally so I'll show you all the results at once. The person with the lowest total score will be expelled." Zenko couldn't help but guiltily glance at 'Deku' - it was sadly obvious he had been getting lower scores than everyone else, he even seemed to realise it, judging by the look of utter despair he wore. She couldn't imagine how it would feel to be expelled on the first day…

With a click, a blue hologram appeared and her pea-green eyes scoured through the results, finding herself in…._fifteenth place_. She mentally pats herself on the back, though find her gaze darting to the twentieth place-

"By the way, I was lying about the expulsion." Aizawa mentioned, shutting off the hologram.

Zenko stared wide-eyed at the shaggy-haired teacher in disbelief along with everyone else, wondering if she had just heard him right. '_Huh? What the-'_

The teacher let a maniacal grin making her sweatdrop. "It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your Quirks."

"What?!" the entire class screamed.

"Of course that was a lie." said the scooter girl from earlier. "It should have been obvious if you just thought it through."

Zenko blinked at the dark-haired girl, her lips pursed. '_I'm usually good on picking up on stuff like that…'_ She turns her gaze back to the teacher. '_Though, it's probably because Dad is so obvious when he does it.'_

"With that, we're done here." Aizawa grumbled as he begins to walk away from the class. "There are handouts with the curriculum and such in the classroom so when you get back, look over them." He promptly stops in front of the green haired boy and handed him a letter. "Tomorrow will be packed with even more rigorous tests. Prepare yourself."

Zenko clutched the straps of her black backpack, walking alongside the taller rosy-cheeked brunette. "Today was so tiring!" she sighed, but she was still brightly beaming. "But fun as well. I already can't wait for the rest of the year!"

The smaller brunette smiled and nodded. Despite her exhaustion which made her knees wobble, she felt as if her energy was restored from Uraraka's grin. '_I'm being photosynthesised.'_ "Yeah. I hope Mr Aizawa doesn't keep tricking us though."

Uraraka lightly pouted. "Hopefully. It was so mean of him to trick us - especially that Deku. Ah, look! That's him there now with Iida, I think?" She points in the direction in which they were in and

Zenko easily spots them - as they stood only a few metres away in front.

"Hey! You two!" Uraraka called loudly, gaining their attention. She takes off leaving Zenko to puff after her. "Going to the station? Wait for us!"

"You're the infinity girl," the navy-haired boy begins, then turned to Zenko. "And you're the plant one."

"You're the power-up one and _you're_ the fast one." she replies.

"This is Wakuribana Zenko-chan-" The small brunette gives them a small wave. "-and I'm Uraraka Ochako." continued the rosy-cheeked girl. "Um, you're Iida Tenya-kun and you're Midoriya Deku-kun, right?"

"'Deku-kun'?!" The green-haired boy blanched.

Zenko eyed the boy with an eyebrow raised. "Is that not your name then?" she questioned, thinking back to what the explosive blonde from before had screeched. '_DEKU, YOU BASTARD!'_

"Um," began the flustered boy. "My real name is Izuku, but D-Deku is what Kacchan calls me to make fun of me…" '_Ah, similar kanji to useless…'_ Zenko noted silently.

"An insult?" The navy-haired boy pondered raising his hand to his chin. Zenko frowned. '_I wonder why he calls him Kacchan when he's so mean...'_

"Oh, is that right? Sorry!" Uraraka apologised, but quickly her embarrassed smile turned bright once again. "But 'Deku' sounds like the kanji for 'You can do it!' so I kinda like it."

"I'm Deku." instantly replied the bright-faced boy.

"Midoriya-kun?" Iida spluttered. "You're accepting it too easily! Wasn't that an insult?"

Midoriya quickly turns away, covering his face. "It's like a Copernican Revolution." he muttered and Zenko furrowed her eyebrows. '_The what now?'_

"Co-pe?"

She couldn't help but snort at the poor girl making Uraraka pout lightly, only making Zenko cover her snickering with her hand. "You don't know what it is either." she whined, elbowing Zenko.

"What if I do?" the small brunette smirked. Uraraka seemed to blank at that, making Zenko laugh softly. "It's fine, I don't really know." She swiftly turns to Midoriya. "So, what is the Co-pe Revolution?"

And with that, the quartet set off for the train station together and Zenko smiled as she walked by the taller brunette's right side, content with just listening to the rambling of her new friends about whatever this Co-pe was. It was the first time she had made friends so quickly if she thinks back to when she was younger. She never found herself talking to many people, because she was grinding her Quirk at every chance she got. She moved her gaze from Iida, to Midoriya and to Uraraka, then forward. '_Hopefully, I can be good friends with everyone.'_ She thinks back to Bakugou. '_Okay, except him.' _Then the grape-haired boy. '_And him.'_

The four reached the train station quicker than she thought it would have taken them and glances at her phone to see she has plenty of time remaining for her train to arrive. She bids her three friends goodbye as they depart for their own and she ends up taking a seat at a nearby bench outside the station. She takes in her surroundings which wasn't much as it was only the train station, but at the same time, she feels the urge to pull out her phone.

There were many people walking around, but none of them caught Zenko 's interest as instead her eye catches the pot of magenta sweet peas plotted next to the bench. She aims the phone's camera and with a tap, the image is saved and she places her phone back into her pocket. But it was at that moment she spotted the flowers in the pot next to it had completely wilted. '_More sweet pea's…'_ she notes silently.

She glances around her to see if anyone was looking particularly in her direction at all before deeming it safe as she swiftly pulls out the dead flowers from the soil. Making sure every root was out she planted her hand in the soil and whispered, "_Lathyrus odoratus_."

It took no time at all for the bunch of pink and blue sweet pea's to sprout from the soil and she smiled at the bright difference from before. However, she glanced down at the mess she made with the dead bunch and she sweatdropped. She sighs, checking the time and her eyes bulge seeing the few minutes she had left. The small brunette quietly curses before dumping the dead bunch of sweet pea's behind the pot before taking off in what seemed to be a half-sprint, her tired limbs wobbling.

* * *

Hello, I'm extremely sorry for the long wait but I've been studying extra-hard this year for my exams, so I've found it hard the past few weeks to dedicate a lot of time to this, but here it is! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully you all don't have to wait as long for the next update.


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